The Americans with Disabilities act, also knows as the “ADA,” protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of benefits and services.
This article includes a few things that business can do and things that business should avoid to comply with the ADA. By no means is this list of tips exhaustive. As always, check with a lawyer who is qualified in ADA to get details about your business and ADA compliance.
Business entities that are subject to the ADA must not, on the basis of disability:
Exclude a person with a disability from a program activity;
Deny a person with a disability the benefits of a program or activity;
Afford a person with a disability an opportunity to participate in or benefit from a benefit or service that is not equal to what is afforded others;
Provide a benefit or service to a person with a disability that is not as effective as what is provided others;
Provide different or separate benefits or services to a person with a disability unless necessary to provide benefits or services that are as effective as what is provided others;
Apply eligibility criteria that tend to screen out persons with disabilities unless necessary for the provision of the service, program or activity.
Covered business entities must:
Provide services and programs in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the qualified individual with a disability;
Ensure that programs, services, activities, and facilities are accessible;
Make reasonable modifications in their policies, practices, and procedures to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless it would result in a fundamental alteration of the program;
Provide auxiliary aids to persons with disabilities, at no additional cost, where necessary to afford an equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from a program or activity;
Designate a responsible employee to coordinate their efforts to comply with Section 504 and the ADA;
Adopt grievance procedures to handle complaints of disability discrimination in their programs and activities;
Provide notice that indicates that the covered entity does not discriminate on the basis of disability;
Provide notice the indicates how to contact the employee who coordinates the covered entity’s efforts to comply with the law
Provide notice that indicates information about the grievance procedures.
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